Calgary, Alberta – Wind-chill temperatures of about minus-40 degrees greeted Alex Tanguay and the Calgary Flames upon arrival here Monday morning after a Southern California road trip.
If Tanguay had been traded from Colorado to Calgary at another time, a similar weather metaphor might have been made. From paradise to Siberia. Before 2003-04, the Flames suffered nine consecutive losing seasons while the Avalanche enjoyed success. Things have changed in Calgary, despite the team sitting in last place in the Northwest Division entering tonight’s game with the Avs – the first time Tanguay will face his former team.
In his six seasons with the Avalanche, Tanguay saw many teammates leave and come back as opponents. Now, it is his turn, and he isn’t sure what he will feel at the Pengrowth Saddledome when the puck drops.
“It’s gonna feel different. I’d been part of that organization for a long time. We’ll see how it goes,” Tanguay said after the Flames’ practice Monday.
Tanguay’s team, loser of two in a row after a good stretch that briefly had it in second place in the Northwest, is facing heavy criticism from the local media. Since the Flames came within one victory of winning the Stanley Cup in 2004, they were eliminated in the first round of the 2006 playoffs, and are a .500 team now.
Perhaps that helps explain why Tanguay is more focused on the Flames getting a win, regardless of the opponent.
“I know it sounds weird (to) say it’s gonna be just another game. It’s not, but that’s the way we’ve got to approach it right now with our situation,” Tanguay said. “We have to focus on what we need to do to get back in a playoff position. They’re a division rival so we move up, they move down. It’s as simple as that.”
Tanguay, traded by the Avs for defenseman Jordan Leopold and two second-round draft picks, has four goals and 19 points in 22 games for the Flames. He probably has been the Flames’ best forward of late, after a slow start that mirrored that of the team.
The Avalanche let him go after he desired a $5 million-per-year salary – and probably would have gotten it via arbitration. That was more than the team was willing to pay under the salary cap.
Tanguay admits he won’t be apathetic about playing the Avs. Getting a win over his former team, he said, would feel better than the usual opponent.
“It’s certainly going to be good motivation,” he said.
When Tanguay takes a look at Colorado, he barely recognizes it from just a couple of years ago.
“There’s only a few guys that have been around for many years, the rest of the team was reconstructed. It’s certainly a different team,” Tanguay said. “They’ve had to rebuild. They’ve been fortunate with some of the late draft picks – you look at (Marek) Svatos, you look at (Milan) Hejduk – those guys have been coming in and filling in outstanding.
“They’ve been a good organization for many years. I wish them the best … that’s all I can say right now.”
Staff writer Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com.
